A few people have been asking me what the difference is between course racing boards and what is best board for racing.
This would seem like a pretty simple question and it actually is a simple question, but with a very complex answer. Let me explain ....
There are three parts to a good course race ; an upwind leg, a downwind leg and a cross wind leg. Each leg of the race requires different riding positions, weighting, and trim to enable the boards to perform at their highest loose speeds. To go fast you need strength, courage, determination, stamina, technique, and tactics.
When riding upwind, you use a combination of rail and fins to cut against the wind as high as you can whilst maintaining speed. The best fins are the biggest, most upright and dagger like fins, as they have the most lateral resistance and lift to keep the board working upwind which equates to the least amount of leeway or side slip (every inch you slip downwind is another inch further away from the upwind marker buoy, so it all counts).
The dowwind leg is about keeping your weight more upright over the board but still countering the kite whilst keeping the board as flat as possible and having as little wetted length in contact with the water, this is what causes the back leg burn as your back leg is in a crouched position with all weight over the back footstrap to keep the nose up. This equates to a fast run but causes pain. The best fins are the more raked back smaller fins as you want them for stability and not for lift.
The cross wind tack is the fastest and the swept fins are again the fastest here. Swept fins give more control and stability at speed. Hull shape is also very important as a slight concave is fast in lighter winds but less stable in chop and at extreme speeds. A slight "V" bottom is kinder in chop, smoother and easier but loses a little in the upwind tacks requiring more effort from the fins.
Of the 5 different boards we rode in the racing the other day there was no clear cut winner for the conditions we were racing in. Each board had advantages in different areas. The Norths were a bit better upwind, the Airush better downwind as the course is made up of about 50% upwind and 50% downwind in time on the course, they balance each other out.
Selecting the right board for the days conditions could definitely be a winning move assuming you have a choice, also selecting the right fins would also be a big winner. Correct kite selection is also key as I found out and I reckon it is better to be a little overpowered than underpowered.
Each race will be in different conditions and as such, the right board will be helpful, but overall, I don't think there is any advantage of either of the boards we tested and raced. I raced on the Airush Monaro, Sector and North 2010 Race LTD and won and lost races on both.
I think the right board, especially initially, is the one which you find easiest to handle in general conditions. The difference in speed is easily lost in a crashed gybe or badly misjudged lay line to the mark and having to retack and change tacks again, this lost me a race.
When racing to win, think more about exploiting your strengths and minimising your weaknesses. If you are lousy at gybing, do as few tacks as possible and maybe if you need to make a short tack to lay the buoy, just ride toeside for a short distance as the lost upwind ground will be made up again by a fast gybe. You can definitely use your brain more in course racing, strength and speed are only part of it.
Hope this Helps,
KH
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